Intermittent drive device



Get. 12, 1948.

F. M. THOMAS INTERMITTENT DRIVE DEVICE Filed Jul 6, 1946 FIG! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 I INVENTOR F M THOMAS By (9 (Q AT TOENE k Oct. 12, 1948. F. M. THOMAS INTERMITTENT DRIVE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1946 57 F/GJ INVENTOR BYE M THOMAS 9mm A TTORNE V Patented Oct. 12, 1948 INTERM ITTENT DRIVE DEVICE Frank M. Thomas, Summit, N. J assignor to Bell 4 Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 6, 1946, Serial No. 681,653

8 Claims. (Cl. 74-1255) This invention relates to mechanical drive devices and more particularly to mechanical drive devices operable to transmit driving movements from driving means to means required to be driven intermittently.

An object of the invention is to provide improved mechanical means for transmitting driving movements of a rotatable driving means to a rotatable member required to be rotated interinittently.

A feature of the invention resides in a plurality of wheels driven at relatively different speeds and operable to intermittently move an arm.

Another feature resides in the arm above mentioned.

Another feature resides in stop means provided in the device.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the mechanical drive device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view, in elevation, of the mechanical drive device;

Fig. 3 is a side view, in section, of the mechanical drive device taken on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the wheels;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another of the wheels; and

Fig. 6 is a view, partly in section, of a portion of the arm.

The mechanical drive device ID as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 may form a means for transmitting driving movements of a motor device H or other prime mover to a shaft l2 required to be intermittently driven. The motor device H or other prime mover employed is operable to rotate in a plurality of directions. The shaft I2 should be connected to a rotatable part of a device, not shown, but, required to be intermittently operated during the rotation of the shaft l3.

In the mechanical drive device Hl shown in the drawings two wheels l4 and I5 are provided to control the operation of an arm l6 which is in mechanical connection with the shaft l2. The wheels I4 and I5 are driven at relatively different speeds, the wheel l4 being driven at a faster speed than the wheel [5.

The wheel [4 as shown in Fig. 4 is centrally apertured at I! to receive a hub l8 which is mounted on a rotatable shaft l9, the hub l8 being secured to the shaft ill by means of a pin 20 or other suitable means. Keyways 2i and 22 are formed in the wheel M, the keyways 2| and 22 opening into the aperture l'I provided in the wheel l4. Corresponding keyways 23 and 24 are formed in the hub 18 to register with the respective keyways 2| and 22 formed inthe wheel l4. The keyways 2| and 23 cooperate to forman opening to receive a key 25 and the keyways 22" and 24 cooperate to form an opening to receive a key 26, the keys 25 and 26 being inserted in the openings provided therefor and secured in place in any suitable manner. End portions of the hub, for instance, may be spun over or staked over the key and wheel. It will be seen that the keys 25 and 26 engage portions of the wheel 14" and portions of the hub l8 and prevent relative rotation of the wheel l4 and the hub H3.

The shaft I9 is supported in low friction type' bearings 21 and 28 supported in spaced supports 29 and 30, respectively, extending from and mounted on a base 3|. A driving wheel 3'! is provided to rotate the shaft l9, the driving wheel" 31 being keyed by means ,of keys 38 and 39 to a hub 40 supported on the shaft [9 and the hub 40 being secured to the shaft l9 by means of a pin M or other suitable means. When the driving wheel 31 is rotated the shaft I 9 and the wheel M are rotated at the samespeed as the driving wheel 31. l

The wheel I5 is in spaced face to face relation with the wheel 14 and is mounted in a tubular support 42 provided with spaced flanges '43 and.

The tubular support 42 is constructed to' accommodate the shaft l9 and is supported on. the low friction type bearings 35 and 36, which are supported on the shaft 19. The wheel 15 as shown in Fig. 5 is provided with a central aperture 41 to receive an end of the tubular support 42,

,Keyways 48 and 49 are formed in the Wheel 15,

the keyways 48 and49 opening into the aperture 41. Corresponding keyways 50 and 5| are formed in the tubular support 42 to register with the respective keyways 48 and 49 formed in the wheel l5. The keyways 48 and 50 cooperate to form an j opening to receive a key 52 and the keyways 49 and 5| cooperate toform an opening to receive a key 53, the keys 52 and 53 being inserted in the openings provided therefor and securedin'l place in any suitable manner. It will be seen that the keys52 and 53 engage portions of the wheel l5 and portions of the tubular support 42 the tubular support 42.

speed as the driving wheel 54.

The means provided for rotating the driving wheels 31 and 54 may be any positive type of driving means found suitable for the purpose.

A workable structure and arrangement, however, is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In the structure and 5 arrangement chosen as an illustration of the invention and not in the sense of a limitation thereof the driving wheels 3"! andiit are gear wheels in mesh with gears '51 and 58, respectively; secured to the rotatable shaft I3 of the motor device I I. The gear 51 is larger in diameter than the gear 58 and is in driving engagement with the driving wheel 3'! which is smaller in diameter than the driving wheel 54 in drivingengagement with the gear 58. When the shaft I3 is rotatedvthe driving wheels 31 and 54 are rotated at relativelydifferent speeds and the wheels I4 and. I5 are, rotated at relatively difierent speeds, the wheel rotating faster than the wheel I5. a

The wheels I l and i5 are equal in outside diameter and are arranged in spaced parallel face to face relation. A substantially V-shaped notch 59 is formed in the outer edge of thewheel,-I 5 and a relatively long notch 60 is formed in the outer edge of the wheel I 4. The notches 59 and 60 are of about the same depth and when the wheels I4 and I5 are rotated at relatively dif ferent speeds the notches 59 and 60 will bebrought; into register with one another at some time ;dur-' ing the rotations of the wheels I4 and I5. The

against the actionof the spring 86. The arm It ends SI and 62 of the notch slope outwardly from the base portion 53 to the main outer edge ofthe wheel I4. I

The arm I6v asshown in Fig. 2 comprises an apertured body portion 64 part of which is re- 35 duced in Width to provide a relatively lightweight arm portion 65 which is constructed to provide a support for a slide bar 66. The arm portion- 65 is bifurcated to provide spaced fingers '61 and 68 and a longitudinal opening 69. The long sides of the slide bar 66 are channeled to receive the inner edges of the fingers 6'! and $8, asshown in Fig. 6, the slide barfifi being arranged to slide lengthwise of the fingers 6! and B8 and; in the longitudinal opening 69. of the arm I6 is mounted on a flanged collarlli and is keyed thereto by means of pins 'I-I. 'I.'I The collar '10 is secured to the shaftlZ by a pin. I2 :or other suitable securing means. Th'e'shaft. I2 is supported in low friction type bearings 13 .50 and I4 mounted in spaced brackets I5 and I6 secured to and extending upwardly from the base 3 I. The slide bar 66 providesa movable support for a rod 1'! which is mounted in the upperend of the slide bar 66 and extends at a'QO-degre'e 65 angle from the plane of the slide bar 65 and transversely over the outer edges of the wheels I4 and I5. One end of the rod 11 isformed to provide a head portion 18 which bears against the.

outer face of the slide bar 66, the shank of the 607 rod 11 extending through an aperture formed in the upper portion of the slide bar 66. The head portionIB of the rod 71 is annularly grooved at. 19 to receive one end of a helical spring 80. which is anchored to thehead portion 78, the other end .65

of the spring being anchored to a stud 8i, mounted on and extending angularly from the armportion'BE of the armIB. Supported on the shank portion of the rod 1'! are ball bearing equipped rollers 82, 83 and 84 7 which are held in spaced relation on the rod 11 by means of spacers 85, 86, 87 and 88, the roll ers and spacers being stacked on the rod 11 and held against movement off the rod 11 by means of anut 89 and a locknut 90in threaded engage; 75

ment with a screw thread formed on the rod T1. The roller 82 is positioned to ride on the outer edge of the wheel It and the roller 83 is positioned to ride on the outer edge of the wheel I5. The rollers 82 and 83 are maintained in engagement with the wheels i l and I5, respectively, by the action of the spring Bil which con" stantly urges-theqslide banfifi toward the axial line of. thesh'af-ts I9'and I21: 1, T I

When the wheels I iand I5 are rotating at relatively diiTerent speeds and the notches 53 and 5Q come .intoresister with each other the rod TI moves toward the central portions of the wheels .5? and-I5 under the action of the spring 853 and .the. rollers Bland 83 settle into the notches Bil an-d581, respectively, in the wheels I4 and I5. .Whenthe roller 83 movesinto the V notch 59 in the wheel I5 and the wheel I5 is rotating the arm I 6 iscarried around by the wheel I5 and operates as a crank to cause rotation of the shaft I2. The shaft I2 is therefore rotated when the notches '59 and til are in register and the wheel|5is rotating.

Since the wheel I l rotates faster than the wheel 55 the notch 69, in eifect, outruns the notch 59 andpasses beyond apoint of registerwith the not-ch 59. ;Whenthenotch biiiis passing out of register. with the V notchl59rthe wheel it acts as a cam-to move therollers 82 andiiS outwardly of the wheels-l4 and I5; respectively, and

then ceases to be drivenby the wheel I5 and the rollers 82 and 83 simply ride on the outer edges of the wheels I4 and I5, respectively, until the notches 59 and 50 again come into register. The length of time the arm It and the shaft I2 are rotated depends mainly on the length of the notch 60 and the relative speeds ofrotation of the wheelsl land lfi.

Stop means comprising stop plates Stand 92 and the rolleriitare provided for limiting rotation of the shaft I2. The stop plates 9i and 92 are mounted on the support 29 andare positioned in theline of travel of the roller Maud so that The body portion. 54 45s the arm I6 cannot berotateda fu1l'360 degrees in a clockwise.orlcounterclockwise direction. 'The stop plates 91 and 92 which are secured to the support 29 by means of screws 93 r other suitable securing means are formed in each case to l-provide a hook portion'fliextending from a body portion which extends inthe line of travel of therolier 84. The outer end of the hook portion 94 does notexterid into the lineof, travel of the roller't l when therollers 82 and 83. are in the notches; 60 and 59,: respectively. The body portion 95 serves as a' s'top which isengaged by the roller 84wto stop. rotation of the arm I 5. hook portion 94in cooperation with the body portion 95 forms-arec'ess 55 [into which the roller 84 may pass when the. roller- ,84 strikes thev for-V ward edge 97 of the body portion'55 and the wheels I4 and Ii continuejto turn. When the roller 84 strikes the' forw a'rd edge 91 of the body portion 95 and the wheel-s14 and I5 continue to turn the wheels MandJS; actas cams against the rollers 82 and 83 to move'the slide bar 66v outwardly against the actionor' the spring 86. Under this condition the wheels I4 and'l5, may turn "without turning the arm I6 and the roller ,84is brought into engagementwi th the hook portion 9% which serves to prevent swinging back of the 811711115. It will'be seen that the stop plates iii and fll serve as stops for the arm. I6 and that by virtue orthe'hook portion 34 provided on each stop the stop [plates 9| and 9 2} function in the The nature of keepers of a latch, the cooperating portion of which is the roller 84.

When the arm I6 has been driven in one direction and has been stopped by one of thestops 9I and 92 and is being held against return movement by engagement of the hook portion 94 with the roller 84 the arm I6 may be released from this conditionby rotating the wheels I4 and I5 in a direction reverse from their former operation until the notches 59 and 69 come into register with each other. The spring 89 then pulls the slide bar 66, the rod I1 and the rollers 82, 83 and 84 toward the axial line of the shaft I9 and brings the rollers 82 and 83 into the notches 69 and 59 and the roller 84 out of the hook portion 94. Upon further rotation of the wheels I4 and I5 in the required direction the arm I6 is driven away from the stop.

The relative speeds of the wheels I4 and I5, the length of the notch 69 in the wheel I4 and the locations of the stop plates 9i and 92 may be such that the notches in the wheels I4 and I5 will only be in register while the notch 59 is travelling in a counter-clockwise direction from the stop plate 9| to the stop plate 92 or is travelling in a clockwise direction from the stop plate 92 to the stop plate 9I. If the length of the notch 69 in the wheel I4 and the distance between the stop plates 9! and 92 are of the order shown in Fig. 2 and the wheels I4 and I5 are driven so that the wheel I4 makes one complete cyclic rotation for three quarters of a cyclic rotation of the wheel I5 in the same direction and the initial relative positions of the notches in the wheels are such that the notch 69 in the wheel I4 begins to register with the V notch 59 in the wheel I5 when the 'V notch 59 is at the position of the stop plate SI and the wheels I4 and I5 are driven counterclockwise the notch 69 in the wheel I4 will pass out of register with the V notch 59 in the wheel I5 just as the arm I6 bring's'the roller 84 into engagement with the stop plate 92. In a reverse movement the notch 69 will pass out of register with the V notch 59 when the roller 84 comes into engagement with the stop plate 9|. The wheels I4 and I5 may be adjusted to required initial positions byloosening the set screws 98 and 99 on the gears 51 and 58 respectively and turning the gears 51 and 58 and the wheels I4 and I5 as required.

The wheels I4 and I5 can be so relatively adjusted and set that when the notch 59 in Wheel I5 is in register with the stop 9I the right-hand end of the notch 69 in wheel I4, as viewed in Fig. 2, will be almost in register with the notch 59 in wheel I5 and upon sufiicient counter-clockwise movements of the wheels I4 and I5 at their relatively different speeds the notch 69 will pass out of register with the notch 59 when the arm I6 is in about the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2. In this case the rod 11 on the slide bar 66 will be moved out of the notch 59 by means of the wheel I4 and the arm I6 will not be driven further until the notches 59 and 69 come into register again and in register with the rod 11. With the wheels I4 and I5 continuously driven in a counter-clockwise direction the notches 59 and 69 will again come around to the dot-dash line position of the arm I6. However, on the first full turn of the wheel I5 the notch 69 in the wheel I4 will already have passed beyond the notch 59 in the wheel I5 when the notch 59 comes into register with the arm I6. The rod 11 of the arm It at this time will be prevented from coming into the notch 59 of the wheel I5 by the wheel I4 and the arm I6 will not be moved. On the next full turn of the Wheel I5 in the same direction, the notches 59 and 60 will not be in register when the notch 59 reaches the position of the arm I6 and the arm I6 will again be not driven. On the next full turn of the wheel I5 the notch 69 in the wheel I4 will be in register with the notch 59 in wheel I5 when the notch 59 arrives at the position of the arm I6 shown in dot-dash lines'in Fig. 2, and the arm I6 will again be driven until the notch 69 in wheel I4 passes out of register with the notch 59 in wheel I5. However, if the relative initial setting of the wheels I4 and I5 is such that the arm I6 is still being driven when the arm I6 encounters the stop 92, the arm I6 will be stopped from further rotation in the counter-clockwise direction.

What is claimed is:

l. A drive-device comprising a plurality of notched wheels driven at relatively different speeds, means for driving said wheels, a rotatable member and a connecting member extending from said rotatable member and into contact with said wheels and operable to engage in the notches in said wheels when the notches in said wheels are in register, said connecting member operating to transmit rotational movements of one of said wheels to said rotatable member when the notches in said wheels are in register with each other and with said connecting member.

2. A drive device comprising a plurality of notched wheels driven at relatively difierent speeds, means for driving said wheels, a rotatable member and an attachment secured on said rotatable member and extending into contact with said wheels and operable to engage in the notches in said wheels when the notches in said wheels are in register, one of said wheels being operable to drive said attachment when the notches in said wheels are in register, and said attachment extends into the notches in said wheels, another of said wheels being operable to move said attachment out of driving connection with the other of said Wheels when the notches in said wheels move out of register with each other, said attachment operating to rotate said rotatable member when the notches in said Wheels are in register with each other and with said attachment.

3. A drive device for operating a rotatable shaft comprising a plurality of notched wheels driven at relatively different speeds, means for driving said wheels, a rotatable shaft, an arm attached to said shaft and a member on said arm riding on said wheels and operable to engage in the notches in said wheels when the notches in said wheels come into register, said arm being operable to rotate said shaft while the notches in said wheels are in register and said member is in the notches in said wheels, one of said wheels being operable to drive said arm when said mem ber is in the notch in that wheel and another of said wheels being operable to move said member out of the notch in the other of said Wheels when the notches in said wheels pass out of register with each other.

4. A drive device for operating a rotatable shaft comprising a plurality of notched wheels driven at relatively different speeds, means for driving said wheels a shaft, an arm attached to said shaft and a member on said arm extending into contact with said wheels and operable to move into the notches in said wheels when the notches come into register, said arm operating to transmit rotations of one. of said wheels to said shaft only when said member is in the notches in said wheels.

5. A drive device for intermittently operating a rotatable shaft comprising a plurality of wheels each having a notch formed in an edge portion of the wheel, means for rotating said wheels at relatively different'speeds, a shaft, an arm carried by said shaft and operable to turn said shaft, a member slidably supported on said arm and extending into contact with edge portions of said wheels, means to urge said member against edge portions of said wheels and into the notches in said wheels when the notches in said wheels come into register, one of said wheels being oper able to drive said arm to turn said shaftwhen said member engages in the notches in said wheels and another of said wheels being operable to move said member out of driving engagement with one of said wheels when the notches in said wheels are going out of register.

6. An intermittently-drive device comprising a plurality of wheels driven at relatively difierent speeds, means for driving said wheels, one of said wheels having a relatively narrow notch formed in its outer edge and another of said wheels having a relatively wide notch formed in its outer edge, said wheels being arranged in spaced face to face relation and the wheel having the wider notch being the faster operated wheel, .a rotatable member, and a drive arm in mechanical connection with said rotatable member andextending across theedges of said wheels, said drive arm being operable to move into the notches in said wheels when thenotches in said wheels are in register to establisha driving connection between the wheel with the smaller notch and said rotatable member and the Wheel with the wider notch being operable to move said drive arm out of driving condition when the notches in said wheels pass out of register.

7. An intermittent drive device comprising a plurality of wheels drivenat relatively different speeds, means for driving said wheels, one of said wheels having a relatively narrow notch formed in its outer edge and another of said wheels hav ing a relatively wide notch arranged to pass into and out of register with the narrower'not'ch in the first wheel, a rotatable member, an arm in mechanical connection with said rotatable member, a slidable member on "said arm and a rod carried by said slidablemember and extending across edgeportions of said-wheels and operable to engage in the notches in said wheels when the'notches are inrregister, said arm operating to transmit rotations of the wheel having the narrower notch to saidrotatable member when the notches are in register and the Wheel having the wider notch operating to move said rod out of the narrower notch when the notches pass out of register.

' 8. An intermittent drive device comprising a notched wheel, a rotatable member, an arm mechanically connected to said rotatable member, a rod movablysupported on said arm and en gageable in the notch-in saidwheeLsaid arm being operable to transmit rotation of said wheel to said rotatable member when said rod is in the notch in said wheel, a second wheel operable to move said rod out of the notch in the first'wheel, means'to rotatesaid wheels at relatively different speeds and a stop in the line of travel of said rod and having .a recessed'portion to accommodate said rod-when said rod is moved out of the notch in the first wheel.

FRANK M. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are .of record in the vName Date Metcalie Apr; 21, 1931 Number 

